American labor leader and community activist
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Key moments and achievements from Ismael Ahmed's life.
Ismael was born
· Dearborn, Michigan, USA
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While still a student at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, Ismael Ahmed helped found the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) in 1971 with a group of volunteers. The nonprofit organization assisted new Arab immigrants with services while adapting to life in the United States and would grow into the largest Arab American human services organization in the country.
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While still a student at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, Ismael Ahmed helped found the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) in 1971 with a group of volunteers. The nonprofit organization assisted new Arab immigrants with services while adapting to life in the United States and would grow into the largest Arab American human services organization in the country.
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Ahmed was appointed executive director of ACCESS in 1983, taking on responsibility for overall operations of the organization. Under his leadership, ACCESS expanded dramatically from a small volunteer operation into a major social services organization serving the Arab American community and beyond.
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Ahmed was appointed executive director of ACCESS in 1983, taking on responsibility for overall operations of the organization. Under his leadership, ACCESS expanded dramatically from a small volunteer operation into a major social services organization serving the Arab American community and beyond.
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Ahmed co-founded the Concert of Colors, a multicultural music festival in Detroit that celebrates the citys diverse communities through the arts. The free festival became an annual tradition bringing together musicians and audiences from across metro Detroits many cultural communities.
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Ahmed co-founded the Concert of Colors, a multicultural music festival in Detroit that celebrates the citys diverse communities through the arts. The free festival became an annual tradition bringing together musicians and audiences from across metro Detroits many cultural communities.
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Ahmed hosted a long-running world music show called This Island Earth on WDET-FM in Detroit, where he called his listeners planetary citizens. The radio program reflected his deep love for arts, culture, and the idea that music could bridge cultural divides.
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Ahmed hosted a long-running world music show called This Island Earth on WDET-FM in Detroit, where he called his listeners planetary citizens. The radio program reflected his deep love for arts, culture, and the idea that music could bridge cultural divides.
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Ahmed co-founded the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, which opened in 2005 as the first and only museum in the United States dedicated to Arab American history and culture. The museum was a crowning achievement of his decades of cultural advocacy.
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Ahmed co-founded the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, which opened in 2005 as the first and only museum in the United States dedicated to Arab American history and culture. The museum was a crowning achievement of his decades of cultural advocacy.
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In September 2007, Ahmed was appointed Director of the Michigan Department of Human Services by Governor Jennifer Granholm, serving until January 2011. The state-level appointment brought his decades of community service experience to the administration of Michigans social safety net.
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In September 2007, Ahmed was appointed Director of the Michigan Department of Human Services by Governor Jennifer Granholm, serving until January 2011. The state-level appointment brought his decades of community service experience to the administration of Michigans social safety net.
Ismael Ahmed passed away
